Bonaire's 38th International Sailing Regatta - A Week of Racing and Revelry
What started as a race between Capt. Don Stewart’s fishing sloop Sislin and Hubert Domacasse’s Vella for a prize of 27 cases of beer has turned into Bonaire’s most popular and biggest annual sailing event.
Set for October 9 to 15, “the 38th Bonaire International Sailing Regatta is shaping up to be one of the best ever,” says Bryon Tromp, ace regatta organizer who, with co-director Elvis Martinus, has been nicknamed the ‘Dream Team’ for their directorial acumen and resourcefulness that has allowed the event to grow each year. About 120 boats and sailors from the surrounding southern Caribbean islands as well as Venezuela, Holland and the U.S. are expected to participate.
“ Basically, if it has a sail, we’ll be racing it at the regatta,” Tromp adds. Indeed, there are some dozen entry categories for everything from classic wooden yachts to high performance J-boats, traditional fishing yawls, windsurfers, Sunfish and Optimists. There’s even a special microboat class where these small model craft are remotely guided by their skippers stationed on shore.
The racecourses mirror the diversity of the divisions. For example, there’s the Round Bonaire Race that circumnavigates this 112-square-mile island. There are also shorter courses like the windsurfing sprints sailed off Bonaire’s famous boardsailing beach in Sorobon.
Once the sun goes down and the day’s races end, regatta participants are invited to venture into town for live music and dancing. Each evening, Bonaire’s capital city of Kralendijk will be the destination for the Regatta Festival. Here, you’ll find local and international bands and dancing, and the opportunity to sample local foods and tropical drinks. Not to be missed is the regatta’s grand finale, the closing ceremony, that will feature distribution of the plaques and trophies amidst its own special festivities.
For more information, Tel/Fax 011-599-717-7425 or 011-599-717-5555. Email: Info@BonaireRegatta.org or visit the regatta web site at: www.BonaireRegatta.org or www.InfoBonaire.com
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